Container closure cap system and associated methods

ABSTRACT

A container closure cap includes a lower retaining member, an upper cover member detachably connected to the lower retaining member, and a clip member connected to the lower retaining member. The clip member includes a top member extending outwardly from an outer periphery of the lower retaining member, and a side member connected to and extending downwardly from the top member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of container closure capsand, more particularly, to the field of a container closure capincluding a clip member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers for beverages come in several shapes and sizes. Further,closures for these containers have developed to accommodate the needs ofconsumers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,876 to Crisci discloses acontainer cap with a push-pull closure. More particularly, the containercap allows an active user to open the push-pull closure by axiallymoving a portion of the container. This may allow a user to open thecontainer with minimal effort, but an active user, e.g., one that isrollerblading, walking, jogging, etc. may still find it difficult tocarry the container while participating in such activities.

One attempt to ease the burden of carrying the container whileparticipating in various activities is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,273,283 to Terrana, et al. This patent discloses a clip memberintegrally formed into a sidewall of the container. Production of such acontainer, however, may be quite complicated and expensive. A belt forcarrying multiple containers is distributed under the tradename “TheEndurance Belt”. This belt is worn by a user, and includes a pluralityof pouches having a specific shape for receiving a plurality ofrespective containers. This belt, however, may be cumbersome.

Another attempt to ease the burden of carrying a container is a bottledwater hook distributed under the tradename “Aquahook”. The bottled waterhook is a removable plastic clip that snaps onto the neck of the bottle.The removable clip includes a ring, a top member, and a side member. Thering is suitably sized to slide over the neck of a bottle, for example.After the ring engages the neck of the water bottle, a user may use thebottled water hook to carry the water bottle on a belt. The bottledwater hook, however, is not meant to be disposable and, accordingly, tobe economically advantageous, the user must move the bottled water hookfrom water bottle to water bottle, i.e., the user must remove thebottled water hook from an empty water bottle, and reattach the bottledwater hook to another water bottle.

Similar to the bottled water hook described above, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/731,293 by Fadal, II et al., discloses a closurecap assembly for containers. The closure cap assembly includes a caphaving a recess formed therein, and a clip member that engages the capadjacent the recess.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of thepresent invention to provide a container closure cap and system thatallows a user to readily carry a container, and that is simple tomanufacture.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention are provided by a container closure cap system comprising acontainer, and a container closure cap having a clip member. Morespecifically, the container may have a bottom surface, sidewallsextending upwardly therefrom, and a top surface opposite the bottomsurface. The top surface may have an opening formed therein.

The container closure cap may be matingly connected to the container toengage the sidewalls and to cover the opening in the top surface. Thecontainer closure cap may comprise a lower retaining member, an uppercover member, and a clip member. The upper cover member may bedetachably connected to the lower retaining member so that when theupper cover member is detached from the lower retaining member, theopening in the top surface of the container is exposed, and the lowerretaining member remains engaged with the sidewalls of the container.

The clip member may be connected to the lower retaining member, and mayhave a top member extending outwardly from an outer periphery of thelower retaining member. The clip member may also include a side memberconnected to and extending downwardly from the top member. The clipmember advantageously allows a user to clip the container to a belt, forexample. Further, the clip member advantageously remains on the bottlewhen the cover member is removed, minimizing the risk of losing thelower retaining member having the clip member connected thereto when thecover member is removed.

The lower retaining member and the clip member may advantageously beintegrally formed as a monolithic unit. The upper cover member may bedetachably connected to the lower retaining member using a perforatedconnection or a breakaway connection, for example.

The upper cover member may threadably engage the sidewalls of thecontainer adjacent the top surface thereof. The container closure capmay further comprise a support rib extending between an inner surface ofthe top member and an inner surface of the side member.

The side member may extend downwardly from the top member to besubstantially parallel to the sidewalls of the container, and an end ofthe side member may be angled outwardly to thereby define a flared end.The top member and the side member may have a thickness substantiallysimilar to the thickness of the lower retaining member. The containerclosure cap may be made of polypropylene material, and the side membermay have indicia on an outer surface thereof.

A method aspect of the present invention is for using a containerclosure cap. The method may comprise matingly connecting a containerclosure cap to a container, and detaching the upper cover member fromthe lower retaining member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a container closure cap systemaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a container closure cap systemincluding a container closure cap having clip member with a flared endaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the container closure cap systemillustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the container closure cap systemillustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a plurality of vertically stackedcontainer closure caps according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a plurality of vertically stackedcontainer closure caps, each including a support rib and a clip memberhaving a flared end, according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the container closure cap systemillustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of a container closure cap havingindicia thereon according to the present invention.

FIGS. 9-11 are side elevation views of alternate embodiments of thecontainer closure cap according to the present invention.

FIGS. 12 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thecontainer closure cap system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime, and multiple primenotations are used to indicate similar elements in alternateembodiments.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, the container closure cap system 15 ofthe present invention is now described. The container closure cap system15 includes a container 20, and a container closure cap 30 having a clipmember 40. More particularly, the container 20 has a bottom surface 22,sidewalls 24 extending upwardly from the bottom surface, and a topsurface 26 opposite the bottom surface. The top surface 26illustratively has an opening 28 formed therein.

The container 20 may, for example, be a beverage container, asillustrated in FIGS. 1-4, or any other type of container, as illustratedin the alternate embodiments of the present invention, and as will bediscussed in greater detail below. The container 20 illustrated in FIGS.1-4 is substantially cylindrical. More particularly, the bottom surface22 of the container 20 may have a substantially arcuate shape. Thecontainer 20 may also have a neck adjacent the top surface 26, and a lip25 connected to the neck. The sidewalls 24 of the container 20 above thelip 25 have a smaller circumference then the sidewalls of the containerbelow the lip.

The container closure cap 30 is illustratively matingly connected to thecontainer 20 to engage the sidewalls 24 of the container above lip 25.The container closure cap 30 also covers the opening 28 in the topsurface 26 of the container 20.

The container closure cap 30 comprises a lower retaining member 32, andan upper cover member 34 detachably connected to the lower retainingmember. When the upper cover member 34 is detached from the lowerretaining member 32, the opening 28 in the top surface 26 of thecontainer 20 is exposed, and the lower retaining member remains engagedwith the sidewalls 24 of the container above the lip 25. The lowerretaining member 32 may have a ring shape, for example, and preferablyhas a circumference slightly larger than the circumference of the topsurface 26 of the container 20.

The upper cover member 34 illustratively includes a top surface 35 andsidewalls 36 extending downwardly therefrom. The top surface 35 of theupper cover member 34 is preferably arcuate, and the sidewalls 36 areconnected to the outer periphery of the top surface of the upper covermember. More specifically, the top surface 35 of the upper cover member34 and the sidewalls 36 of the upper cover member are preferablyintegrally formed as a monolithic unit. The sidewalls 36 of the uppercover member 34 may have ribs formed therein to allow a user to bettergrip the upper portion when removing it from the top surface 28 of thecontainer 20.

The container closure cap 30 further illustratively comprises a clipmember 40 connected to the lower retaining member 32. The clip member 40has a top member 42 extending outwardly from an outer periphery of thelower retaining member 32, and a side member 44 connected to andextending downwardly from the top member. The side member 44 of the clipmember 40 preferably extends downwardly to be substantially parallelwith the sidewalls 24 of the container 20, but those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the side member may also extend downward from thetop member at an angle so that it is not parallel with the sidewalls ofthe container.

As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 7, the container closure cap system15 advantageously allows a user to carry a container 20 on a belt, forexample. This is especially advantageous for users that participate inactivities, such as jogging, walking, cycling, rollerblading, or anyother type of activity. The configuration of the clip member 40advantageously allows the user to detach the upper cover member 34 fromthe lower retaining member 32 without removing the clip member. Morespecifically, and as discussed in detail above, the clip member 40 isconnected to the lower retaining member 32, which remains connected tothe sidewalls 24 of the container 20 above the lip 25 when the uppercover member 34 is removed.

The lower retaining member 32 and the clip member 40 are preferablyintegrally formed as a monolithic unit. Accordingly, ease ofmanufacturing makes the container closure cap 30 advantageous. Thecontainer closure cap 30 may be manufactured using injection molding,for example, or any other form of manufacturing, as understood by thoseskilled in the art.

The upper cover member 34 may be detachably connected to the lowerretaining member 32 using a perforated connection, or a breakawayconnection, as understood by those skilled in the art. Morespecifically, a user may rotate the upper cover member 34 in apredetermined direction to separate the upper cover member from thelower retaining member 32. The upper cover member 34 may be readilyreplaced over the top surface 26 of the container 20 and adjacent thesidewalls 24 above the lip 25. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat any other connection between the lower retaining member 32 and theupper cover member 34 which allows the upper cover member to be readilydetached and removed from the lower retaining member may also be used.

The outer periphery of the sidewalls 24 of the container 20 adjacent thetop surface 26 may be threaded. Further, the inner periphery of thesidewalls 36 of the upper cover member 34 may also be threaded.Accordingly, the upper cover member 34 may threadably engage thesidewalls 24 of the container 20 adjacent the top surface 26 above thelip 25. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the upper covermember 34 may also engage the container 20 in any other way, e.g., slideon connection.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the container closure cap 30 may include asupport rib 50 extending between an inner surface of the top member 42and an inner surface of the side member 44. More specifically, thesupport rib 50 provides additional strength to the clip member 40. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the support rib 50 is preferablypositioned so as not to interfere with a user's ability to carry thecontainer 20 on a belt, for example.

Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 2-4, another aspect of the clipmember 40 is now described in greater detail. An end of the side member44 may illustratively be angled outwardly away from the sidewall 24 ofthe container 20 to define a flared end 46. The flared end 46 of theclip member 40 advantageously allows a user to more readily place andremove a container 20 fitted with a container closure cap 30 on a belt,for example.

The top member 42 and the side member 44 may have a thicknesssubstantially similar to the thickness of the lower retaining member 32.The similar thicknesses are advantageous during the manufacturingprocess. The container 20 may be a plastic container, for example, or bemade of any other type of material, as understood by those skilled inthe art. The container closure cap 30 may be made of polypropylenematerial, polyethylete terephthalate (PET) material, or any othermaterial suitable for forming the container closure cap, as understoodby those skilled in the art.

The container closure caps 30 may be stacked in a vertical formation,for example, as perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The containerclosure caps 30 illustrated in FIG. 6 include the support rib 50extending between the top member 42 and the side member 44. Thecontainer closure caps 30 in FIG. 6 also illustratively include theflared end 46 described above. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the container closure cap 30 may include neither of, one of, orboth of the support rib 50, and the flared end 46. In FIGS. 5 and 6, theupper most container closure cap 30 is labeled. For simplicity, theremaining container closure caps have not been labeled.

The stacked configuration of the container closure caps 30 isadvantageous during the manufacturing process. The vertically stackedcontainer closure caps 30 may be readily used in a conventional bottlingprocess, for example, to cap respective containers 20. The containerclosure caps 30 are also advantageous during the manufacturing processas no alterations to the containers 20 are necessary to receive thecontainer closure caps of the present invention. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that the side member 44 of the clip member 40 may beangled slightly outwardly so that the container closure caps 30 may bestacked in a more vertical configuration than illustrated in FIGS. 5 and6.

The container closure cap 30 is preferably disposable and accordinglyare advantageously cost efficient. A disposable container closure cap 30is advantageous because it may be readily available on many types ofcontainers, eliminating the need to move the container closure cap fromone container to another.

As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 8, the side member 44 may haveindicia 52 on an outer surface thereof. The indicia 52 may, for example,be advertising indicia. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe indicia 52 may be any other kind of indicia as well, such as theuser's name or a catch phrase, for example. The indicia 52 may beprinted on the side member 44, may be a decal, or may be any other typeof indicia, as understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring now additionally to FIGS. 9-12, alternate embodiments of thecontainer closure cap system 15 and the container closure cap 30 willnow be discussed. The container closure cap system 15′ illustrated inFIG. 9, for example, is for a snack container 20′. The upper covermember 34′ of the container closure cap 30′ of this embodiment of thepresent invention preferably snaps onto and off of the lower retainingmember 32′. The other elements of this embodiment of the presentinvention are similar to those of the first embodiment, are labeled withprime notation, and require no further discussion herein.

The embodiment of the container closure cap 30″ illustrated in FIGS.10-11 includes an upper cover members 34″ having a push-pull closure.The upper cover members 34″ may be axially moved to allow access to thecontents within a container. The other elements of this embodiment ofthe container closure cap 30″ are similar to those of the firstembodiment, are labeled with double prime notation, and require nofurther discussion herein.

The embodiment of the container closure cap system 15′″ illustrated inFIG. 12 is directed to a container 20′″ such as for use with cleaningproducts, for example. The upper cover member 34′″ of the containerclosure cap 30′″ includes a spray nozzle. The clip member 40′″ isillustratively connected to the lower retaining member 32′″ of thecontainer closure cap 30′″. The other elements of this embodiment of thecontainer closure cap 30′″ are similar to those of previous embodiments,are labeled with triple-prime notation, and require no furtherdiscussion herein.

A method aspect of the present invention is for using a containerclosure cap 30. The method includes matingly connecting a containerclosure cap 30 to a container 20. The method also includes detaching theupper cover member 34 from the lower retaining member 32 so that theopening 28 in the top surface 26 of the container 20 is exposed and thelower retaining member remains engaged with the sidewalls 24 of thecontainer when the top surface of the container is exposed.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tothe mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications andembodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A container closure cap system comprising: a container having abottom surface, sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, and a topsurface opposite the bottom surface, the top surface having an openingformed therein; and a container closure cap matingly connected to saidcontainer and comprising a lower retaining member, an upper cover memberdetachably connected to said lower retaining member, and a clip memberconnected to said lower retaining member, said clip member having a topmember extending outwardly from an outer periphery of said lowerretaining member, and a side member connected to and extendingdownwardly from the top member.
 2. A container closure cap systemaccording to claim 1 wherein the said lower retaining member and sailclip member are integrally formed as a monolithic unit.
 3. A containerclosure cap system according to claim 1 wherein said upper cover memberis detachably connected to said lower retaining member using aperforated connection.
 4. A container closure cap system according toclaim 1 wherein said upper cover member is detachably connected to saidlower retaining member using a breakaway connection.
 5. A containerclosure cap system according to claim 1 wherein portions of thesidewalls of said container adjacent the top surface thereof arethreaded; and wherein said upper cover member threadably engages thesidewalls adjacent the top surface of said container.
 6. A containerclosure cap system according to claim 1 wherein said container closurecap further comprises a support rib extending between an inner surfaceof the top member and an inner surface of the side member.
 7. Acontainer closure cap system according to claim 1 wherein an end of theside member is angled outwardly to thereby define a flared end.
 8. Acontainer closure cap system according to claim 1 wherein the sidemember extends downwardly from the top member to be substantiallyparallel to the sidewalls of said container.
 9. A container closure capsystem according to claim 1 wherein the top member and the side memberhave a thickness substantially similar to the thickness of said lowerretaining member.
 10. A container closure cap system according to claim1 wherein said container closure cap is made of polypropylene material.11. A container closure cap system according to claim 1 wherein the sidemember has indicia thereon.
 12. A container closure cap comprising: alower retaining member; an upper cover member detachably connected tosaid lower retaining member; and a clip member connected to said lowerretaining member, and comprising a top member extending outwardly froman outer periphery of said lower retaining member, and a side memberconnected to and extending downwardly from the top member.
 13. Acontainer closure cap according to claim 12 wherein said lower retainingmember and said clip member are integrally formed as a monolithic unit.14. A container closure cap according to claim 12 wherein said uppercover member is detachably connected to said lower retaining memberusing a perforated connection.
 15. A container closure cap according toclaim 12 wherein said upper cover member is detachably connected to saidlower retaining member using a breakaway connection.
 16. A containerclosure cap according to claim 12 wherein inner surface portions of saidupper cover member are threaded.
 17. A container closure cap accordingto claim 12 further comprising a support rib extending between an innersurface of the top member and an inner surface of the side member.
 18. Acontainer closure cap according to claim 12 wherein an end of the sidemember is angled outwardly to thereby define a flared end.
 19. Acontainer closure cap according to claim 12 wherein the top member andthe side member have a thickness substantially similar to the thicknessof said lower retaining member.
 20. A container closure cap according toclaim 12 wherein the side member has indicia thereon.
 21. A method ofusing a container closure cap, the method comprising: matinglyconnecting the container closure cap to a top surface of a container tothereby cover an opening in the top surface of the container, thecontainer closure cap comprising a lower retaining member, an uppercover member detachably connected to the lower retaining member, and aclip member connected to the lower retaining member; and detaching theupper cover member from the lower retaining member so that the openingin the top surface of the container is exposed and the lower retainingmember having the clip member connected thereto remains engaged withportions of the container when the opening in the top surface of thecontainer is exposed.
 22. A method according to claim 21 wherein thelower retaining member and the clip member are integrally formed as amonolithic unit.
 23. A method according to claim 21 wherein the uppercover member is detachably connected to the lower retaining member usinga perforated connection.
 24. A method according to claim 21 wherein theupper cover member is detachably connected to the lower retaining memberusing a breakaway connection.
 25. A method according to claim 21 whereinmatingly connecting the container closure cap to the container comprisesthreadably engaging the container closure cap to portions of thecontainer adjacent the top surface thereof.
 26. A method according toclaim 21 wherein the container closure cap comprises a support ribextending between an inner surface of the top member and an innersurface of the side member.
 27. A method according to claim 21 whereinan end of the side member is angled outwardly to thereby define a flaredend.
 28. A method according to claim 21 wherein the side member hadindicia thereon.